Total land kilometres travelled: 15,000 km + (see the map of where we have been here:
View Larger Map
Since we last left you at the end of our trip through the tribal areas of Orissa we have travelled around the bottom half of India! As we ventured south the weather became hot and steamy, the food took on a tropical twist and the local dialects changed every 100 miles. We have visited 15 places in the last month – here are the highlights:
Pondicherry - A side-trip to France
We started our southern journey in the French colony town of Pondicherry in the middle of the Eastern coast of India. We had to double-check our map when we arrived because we could have sworn our train took us to the south of France: cobbled streets, French street names, shop owners calling me Mademoiselle and more middle aged Europeans on bicycles than you can shake a stick at. The only thing missing was the cheese and wine (but oh, how we searched!)
The highlight of our surreal stay in Pondicherry was meeting a wonderful little homeless family who lived on a pile of construction sand outside our guest house. We noticed straight away that their gorgeous little baby girl Vallamaia had a distended pot belly and big sad eyes – she was seriously malnourished. We took the mother, grandmother and Vallamaia to the local hospital where she was seen by a doctor, had a series of blood tests and given treatment. The doctor educated the mother on how to feed her child. We then went and bought the family big sacks of rice, dahl, chickpeas, flour, oil etc and some clothes for the children. See a photo of little Vallamaia in the photo gallery. This mission was generously funded by a friend of ours in the UK. These sorts of experiences have taught us that you can change lives with what Londoners spend on coffee in the average week.
After Pondicherry we made our way further south to Madurai which has amazing colourful temples that attract pilgrims from all over India. We then caught a train to the southern most tip of India, en route to Varkala in Kerala on the West coast.
Varkala – The Subcontinental Algarve
It turns out that Varkala’s serene beach and coastline had some sort of underground tunnel to Liverpool. With more Italian restaurants than chai stalls – we felt out of place and far removed from the Indian experiences we love. However – once we got used to the cockney accented tabla players, and moochy long termers escaping the European winter we enjoyed having fresh seafood and beers on the coast after a refreshing swim. We lasted 2 days then got back on the train...
Blissing out on the Keralan Backwaters
We spent 5 nights in relaxed Allepey on the Keralan coast – best known as being the gateway for the backwaters. Stayed at Vrindavanam Heritage Home which was a nice guest house set around a courtyard filled with palm trees, tropical birds and hammocks. Sounds perfect expect the place was ‘run’ by a pack of indifferent, boozy, foul-mouthed idiots who spent their days swearing at guests and their nights partying in the courtyard on brandy and pot to trance music.
After 3 months of bathing with cold water from a bucket and sleeping with cockroaches rattling around the room we treated ourselves to 24 hours on an amazing thatched house boat. Our driver pottered us through the backwaters past villagers diving for shells, fishermen in canoes selling big fresh water prawns, women washing clothes under the palm trees, and kids going to school by boat. Our cook Suresh whipped up the best food we had eaten in 3 months. Feasting on Keralan seafood and sipping cold beers on the rooftop was one of the best moments of our trip.
Laid back colonial life in Fort Cochi
We emerged from our life of luxury and caught a local bus north to Fort Cochin (Kochi) where we spent 6 nights. Fort Cochin is an ex - Portuguese and Dutch colony with history dating back to 1500’s. Many of the shops, and especially hotels date back to medieval trading times. The place has a real feel of history interspliced with palm trees, curries, seafood, rickshaws and tropical weather. We met lots of wonderful locals in Cochin who made us feel very at home.
Hill stations, Palaces and the long journey north
With time pressing, and deadlines to meet, we started to trek north. From Fort Kochi we journeyed 12 hours north to the hill station of Ooty where the wonders of India froze our Keralan sweat into Ooty icicles. To defrost we headed further north to the Palaces and amazing bazaars of Mysore, then back to the coast – to Mangalore – before travelling further north to Margao in Goa – where we spent the day with Cisco’s family, before catching our 3rd overnight train in as many nights to Pune.
A five hour bus ride from Pune now finds us in Nasik – an amazing, vibrant but little-visited town on the banks of the holy Godavari river. Each day we wander in awe past pilgrims bathing at the ghats, women washing clothes and children, and holy men conducting Hindu ceremonies as the ghat meets the water. Nasik is a mini Varanasi - we are captivated by its spirit and sense of religious excitement amidst its calm flow of life. Nasik is the epitome of everything that is beautiful about India – the perfect place to be in as we bring our journey to a close.
We did it! Circumnavigating the Subcontinent – Mission completed
4 months, 3 countries, 45 cities/towns/villages, 18 train journeys, 31 local bus journeys, four ferries , 41 Guest Houses and countless rickshaws later we are closing our amazing odyssey.
Tomorrow is the day we have been dreading for the last 4 months. Tomorrow we leave on our final train for our final destination. Our journey ends on 28th February at 7:10am when Air India lifts Cisco back to London. Its too soon. Its heartbreaking. It feels awful; like the last day of holidays before school starts... I have tried to sell Cisco’s passport on the black market but it seems no one wants to have to grow a beard that bristly :-)
We have no words for how amazing India is – her people, culture, landscape, history, food, colours, romance and adventure – all of which have left an indelible imprint in our hearts.
We also can’t begin to describe how amazing our journey has been.
We have seen so much, met so many wonderful people, laughed until we cried and woke up each day with excitement and wonder at what may lie ahead of us. This is what life should be about....
We want to send our love and thanks to everyone who has supported us both on this adventure – your emails and blog comments have made us feel that you are travelling with us – which we wished you had been...
What’s next?
What? – we don’t know...where? – that’s the exciting part....
It hurts to close this perfect journey. But we know the next one won’t be too far around the corner....
With much love, until next time -
Chloe and Fra xoxo
